Carvana Reviews - How It Works, Warranty, Financing, Returns

I purchased a nice vehicle from Carvana several months ago. I love the car, but the financing interest rate was kind of high. I ended up paying off the vehicle in full and have yet to receive my title from Bridgecrest, who services loans for Carvana.

After approximately five weeks of not hearing anything, I called Go Financial aka Bridgrecrest customer service number to find out where my title is. The customer service rep contacted the title department and came back with a five-minute confusing explanation, which the bottom line was that my title still had not been released. The check for the payoff of my car cleared weeks ago, but these people STILL had NOT released my title. When I asked what the reason was, she had no explanation. She then told me that they would release the same day that we were speaking. She offered to let me speak to the title department, which I took her up on. The tone from the title department rep was pretty icy, no doubt she did NOT want to talk to me and was extremely abrupt and not friendly.

I did find out that they were NOT releasing my title that same day, that she also had no clue why they had not yet released my title even though the vehicle had been paid in full for weeks. They supposedly were going to release it electronically the next day. I am not holding my breath. They also are supposed to hold your account for at least ten days before they actually release your title, per what the rep told me. Even with that, they have gone way beyond the hold time on my title. Her explanation was that they were experiencing this with all titles from Carvana. That to me is "concerning," why is there a circumstance like this?

Buying the vehicle from the Carvana rep in my area was a nice experience. I like the car, and that's where the "nice" experience ends. Once you try to get customer service for your title and ask any questions, forget it. You get greeted with sighs, lip-smacking, and someone treating you like they do not have time to answer or explain anything. I would say to finance it somewhere else if you can.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The whole process was not what I was expecting. They make you feel like you are going to get the car and then they block your account advising you there is an error and to call.

Well, I called and was told they can no longer continue with the purchase and if I had any questions I have to write to an address provided. I guess what's so frustrating is the fact that I just recently had an issue with my car and needed a new one asap. So after getting excited and the congratulations from them, they came and snatched it all away.

I would rather deal with the dealership, at least they are straightforward with you. This experience was a nightmare and to top it off, it was for my birthday. I will never recommend anyone to them. Avoid at all cost; you have a better shot at the dealership.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

First I’d like to start by saying if you look at the reviews on Carvana's website, they are all great for the most part. Then when I read these reviews, I was like, ahh, these are the true Carvana reviews.

My father and I found a car we liked and went through the online process and found that user-friendly and pleasant. Then the terror began. They wanted us to call and verify our down payment was available in the bank. So we 3-way called the bank and verified funds set up delivery. They said they will deliver the car and remove money. Simple enough.

They then quoted us on the phone one payment amount then changed the amount because they had erased our entered information and entered their own. Then they added gap insurance and quoted us a crazy high number that I said can’t be right. "Oh yea, sorry Mr. Johnson, we will get it right." Ok great. The car is delivered, nice driver. We assume all was done.

Nope. I start receiving threatening emails demanding we wire payment, send a cashier's check, etc. We were told they auto withdrawal from the account. They then call and say we entered the wrong account number. However, wait a minute, we never entered an account number, it was done on the phone that they verified funds on. They treated us like we were trying not to pay because of their incompetence. I’m like sure, I’ll wire money, what are you gonna do for our inconvenience? Well, I got my answer when one employee hung up on us.

So we wired the money and they are still calling and threatening. I guess eventually they will figure out it was paid. I would just pay off remaining loan amount to avoid them making money on interest but was advised by there employee that they don’t care, they don’t handle the loans, they just sell cars. I wish I had sent it back, but my father does like the car, which was slightly overpriced. This is the last car anyone in my family buys from Carvana. As others have said, once the sale is made, you got what you got, no help from them afterward.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

So I bought into the process of this place. Easy, online, no pesky sales people - you are in charge and it all should go seamlessly, right? Ehhh hold up.

So I'll be the first to say that initially, everything was great. I found the car that I wanted, signed all the docs online, and got my financing squared away with my bank. They initially stated they had to work with a 3rd party to get the car delivered as I live in Maine, which was fine. We had it all scheduled, and then we hit a small bump - the battery apparently was dead and delayed the delivery. They replaced it, and then offered to actually deliver it with a Carvana truck as opposed to the 3rd party...we'd just have to drive an hour south. I was perfectly fine with that. Car pickup was great, everything as described, no hang-ups. But wait for it...it gets juicy.

Upon pickup, the guy had me take some docs saying that they had to be notarized and signed in order for registration to be squared away for Maine. Seemed odd to me, considering that I could easily knock this out at my town office in 5-10 minutes, but fine - you guys are the experts. I do as requested and wait for 3 weeks. Nothing.

My temp tag is for Georgia as that is where Carvana runs its processing and has its used dealer license at as far as states. I have roughly a week left on my temp tag. Carvana sends me a text stating a new form is being FedEx'd for registration - uh what?! They apparently sat on the last form forever and then got to me stating the previous one was not valid for whatever reason. OK, so new form signed, notarized, and sent off.

I call them up - the rep states it'll get submitted and if any road bumps hit in the next week, a new temp tag can be sent. OK great.

Fast forward to a few days before expiration, and I have no plates. I call and they state that they CAN'T (YES, can't) issue new temp tags since I'm not a resident of Georgia, and can't issue a Maine temp tag as they don't have a used dealer license here. So, here I am with my new car, but no way to drive it legally because tags can't be extended and plates are not here.

But not to worry, they said they can get me a rental car with Enterprise. Wait...are you serious? So now I need to take time off to go get the rental, have a hold on my bank card as a deposit, and be exposed to additional liabilities as insurance coverage is limited with rental cars (and no, they won't pay for additional insurance on the rental)? Yep, that was their solution.

So overall, the only way I can see going through Carvana as being a good experience is if you live in Georgia. Then, if some insane thing happens in the registration process, you can at least get temp tags extended. Anywhere else, JUST GO LOCAL. If I had known this purchase would be this much of a headache for something as simple as getting plates for the vehicle, which literally takes 5-10 minutes at my local town office, I would have. But then again, you'd think a company would have a handle on its operations to do this easy task, right?

In the meantime...my new car is sitting in the driveway, not legally drivable, and I'm waiting for Enterprise to pick me up.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I had a number of problems with Carvana, trying to make a purchase.

First, I reserved a vehicle that was in the process of being loaded into their system with the promise that the photos of the vehicle would be online in three days. Almost a week later, it still said the photos would be available in three days. I canceled that reservation and resumed my search.

I found a vehicle that was available for pickup on January 2, which was later than convenient for me but was workable. I went through their purchase with multiple delays (it would have been quicker in a stand alone dealer than these folks took), and finally thought I had everything resolved. Then I was told that the earliest pickup date would be January 3rd. I canceled the order because I have to be out of town on that date, and they reported no way to accommodate my request.

This seemed like a simple transaction, I was trading a car and placing a down payment of $10,000 with only a very small financed amount. The thing to remember with Carvana is that despite their ads on the simplicity of their product delivery, it will take you as long or more than it will at the neighborhood dealer. I wouldn't recommend these guys to anyone.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I recently purchased a 2015 BMW 3 series, 328i X drive with premium package (VIN# wba3b5g59fns17562) on Carvana.com. I got it at a really good price, and after receiving it, I decided to run the VIN number through the BMW dealership service department to get the vehicle history and make sure the car was still under warranty.

On running the check, BMW advised me that this car was bought back by the dealership from which the previous owner purchased from under the Lemon Law. It had been to the garage around 4-6 times before it reached the 500-mile mark and had multiple issues. It even had a limp transmission issue in the first couple of hundred miles! BMW said they would repair anything like this until the first 50,000 miles or 4 years, but mentioned that this car may have similar issues for the rest of its life.

I immediately called Carvana, and they checked the records themselves and said that they could not sell me this car since it would be a liability on the company and advised me to return it. I asked them if they were just going to reduce the price and resell it on their website, and they said that they would not, and they would have to sell it to an auction.

Soon after, I ended up buying another car with almost five times the mileage and for more money.

A couple of weeks later, after returning it, I decided to go online and see if they were honest about that. To my surprise, they had the same car on sale, and for the same price I paid for it! They are trying to palm off this car onto an unsuspecting buyer. And if everything was fine to resell the car, why didn't they let me keep it?

Please be warned; they may be selling other similar cars that have had major issues and hoping that buyers won't find out until its too late.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

False advertising and horrible car.

When I first purchased the car in May, I had to get it serviced at a Mercedes Benz because the tires were in critical condition and the speedometer and dashboard sensors were not correct. The back seat was lifted up, the seats and air vents were pealing, headlights went out the 3rd week I had the car to be scheduled for service three times.

Carvana and SilverRock stated that the repairs would be done and now that the car has been repaired they don't want to cover the bill. I've been without my car for four months because repairs are life-threatening.

Advocates at Carvana and SilverRock didn't put in the correct notation about my 2014 Mercedes C250. I have emails and recorded phone conversations with multiple advocates from Carvana. Before you purchase, get the car inspected on the first day because they will do anything to sell you a lemon.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

We had high hopes for our Carvana purchase. It started well and was not an altogether horrible experience, but in the end, Carvana dropped the ball. Our 2016 Tacoma was delivered yesterday with only one key fob. What? The Carvana web page stated that the truck purchase includes a set of keys.

The delivery person helpfully offered to follow-up with his office and request another key fob. The official response was that we had not spent enough money on the car purchase to qualify for two key fobs. Again, what? We have never bought a new or used card from a traditional dealership and not received two keys with fobs as part of the purchase.

Later, a Carvana customer advocate, Michael, explained that in Carvana-speak, a set of keys means one (1) key and one (1) fob. Voila, a set! We were dumbfounded. So, now I have to buy another key with fob at a Toyota dealership. Hmm. We ought to have started and stayed with a dealership.

So, in the end, the Carvana experience is deceptive, and will not be repeated by us. Just today someone stopped us in a parking lot and asked about Carvana (the temporary truck plates say Carvana). We warned him about the one key fob policy and advised against trusting vehicle descriptions found on Carvana web pages. The aggravation of having to pass around one key fob between drivers reminds us that Carvana is no better than a regular dealership. Both mislead and exploit the customer; Carvana just does it online vs. face-to-face.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I was approved to purchase a vehicle. They asked for proof of my income. I have been in my career for 24 years. My check stubs are done strictly online, no paper trail. I offered them my W-2’s, and they did not want them. I offered to call HR on a three-way to prove to them that I worked at this job and my income was sufficient, and they refused.

I sent my offer letter with a letterhead, my orientation letter with a letterhead, my badge with the address of my employer, my electronic check stub and I offered to call my bank. This was from my second job. They want to finance my car based on income from my first job. The more money I make, the better the interest rate. So I sent them the proof that THEY asked for from my second job, and they still would not accept it.

I would not recommend anyone to buy from Carvana because they are non-trusting, but sell cars online that you have not seen.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

It started off pretty well with Carvana, but in the end it was a big disappointment.

First off, I decided upon a vehicle to purchase. It was a 2016 Toyota Camry SE. Very beautiful car. I was purchasing it for my son. When I finalized my purchase, I had to call Carvana and verify my funds for down payment as well as sign some documents. That process was quick and simple, and the representatives were very polite and helpful.

After finalizing everything, my delivery date was confirmed: Saturday, December 29th, 2017 at 1:00 PM, which was four days away from the day I purchased the vehicle. I was very satisfied and pleased that the delivery would be quick.

Well, here comes the bad part. On my delivery date, around 7:00 AM, I receive an email that "there's been a delay" in my delivery and so my vehicle will be delivered on a different date. Shortly after, I received a phone call from a representative explaining what happened. She told me that the driver broke down in Valdosta, Georgia (I live in St. Augustine, Florida), and they don't have an ETA on when he'll arrive. She said they would call me back.

An hour after, I called Carvana to check on the status of my delivery. The representative didn't seem like he wanted to help much and told me that the vehicle has an expected delivery date of January 2nd, three days late, but he said it wasn't exact. I waited another hour and called back again. The representative then told me that the truck driver was back on the road and was on its way to my closest hub (Jacksonville) to be delivered and it would be delivered today or the next day. I was at ease at that moment.

A few hours later, I receive a phone call by a woman who tells me that when they took the car to the car wash in Jacksonville, they found out that the vehicle had a leak in the windshield. Oh no Carvana, I thought you do a full inspection on your vehicles before listing them for sale, no? She told me that I could 1) Have them take the vehicle to repair it at a dealership at their cost, 2) They could deliver the vehicle to me and I could take it to repair it at their cost as well, or 3) I could switch out the vehicle.

The representative recommended that I take the vehicle to a body shop of my choice because if they take it from a dealership to another dealership, it would be at the end of the line and it would cause a delay more than it already has. But, why doesn't Carvana have body repair or body shops for situations like this? Why do I have to be responsible for taking the vehicle to a body shop even though it's been "inspected?"

At this point, I was frustrated. The delivery had been delayed, and on top of that, I was told I had to take the vehicle straight to repair it when I receive it. It rains a lot in Florida, and at random times, so this is an issue that had to be fixed immediately. I was very excited about the vehicle and wanted to drive it right away when receiving it, not take it straight to get it repaired. This wasn't our expectations.

Ok, I then called Carvana back and told them I would like to switch out the vehicle because I didn't want to deal with a car that had issues to begin with. I explained to them that I found the same car online on their website for $500 more. Nope, they said I had to pay the difference. Even though I already had paid $200 to insure the vehicle since they had to have proof of insurance when delivering, they still refused. This was the point where I had enough. I told them to just cancel the entire order and that I did not want the vehicle at all. They canceled the order right away.

I then emailed them with my feedback and a couple of hours later, I received a call from someone and they said the maximum they could offer me was $250 off the vehicle price. I told them I'd think about it, but I have decided that I will not be purchasing a vehicle from their website. I didn't want to deal with this process again when it seems to me like customer satisfaction wasn't a priority. I did not get charged for anything since the vehicle wasn't delivered.

Carvana, you have disappointed me big time. This was a bad first impression, and I am not satisfied at all. If you actually do fully inspect your vehicles before listing them, you would find out about the crack in the windshield. But no, you found out when you did the car wash. Who knows, water could've slipped through and messed up other things in the vehicle. Get your things straight because you obviously don't perform full inspections on your vehicles and also don't even have mechanics/body repair in place for when things happen like what happened to me.

I am so glad I did not get the car delivered and I didn't get charged. I will never purchase a vehicle from here again. To be honest, I've had many vehicles in my lifetime, all of them from car dealerships. It may be a hassle negotiating there, but I have never experienced what I've experienced with Carvana. Back to the dealership it is!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The worst car buying experience in my life.

First off, their financing is outrageous; their rates are too high, and so are the down payments. I was using my own lender, they did a conference call with them, TWICE, they sent proof of the approval letter, AND they sent a copy of the check made out to Carvana's Financial Operations because they said the purchase was finalized!

After they already issued a check and verify all the requested information, they say "Due to discrepancies on your account, we were unable to move forward with the purchase of the vehicle." They have done this exact thing to my friends and family member. I honestly believe they are a fake company, EVERYBODY I know has been unable to get a car from this company! DO NOT bother.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend